Ardcrone Church

The parish church of Currans (Na Coirríní / round hill) stands in the townland of Ardcrone (An tArd Crón), in the parish of Currans, diocese of Ardfert, barony of Trughanacmy (Triúcha an Aicme). In 1302 the papal taxation of the diocese of Ardfert valued the church of 'Curmys' (Currans) in the Deanery of Hac[nye] annually at 13s. 4d. and valued the tithe at 16d. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol 5, 296). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details about; 'The vicaradge of Dromeron [Dromod] and Currens. Sequestered by me to Jessie Gilbert minister Aegrotat. Orderly served. Valoris [value] 6 libri [pounds]' (Murphy 1915, 186). In 1666 the lands of 'Ardcroanemenus' [Ardcrone] were included in a land grant to John Blennerhassett (Abstracts of Grants of Lands under the Acts of Settlement and Explanation A.D.1666-1684).

The present remains of the 18th century church of Currans was described in 1841 as follows; 'There are no antiquities in this parish except a few earthen forts and the ruins of a small church built in 1740, but these are of no interest whatever to the architectural antiquary. The church stands in the townland of Ardcrone to the left of the road as you go from Killarney to Castle-Island and three miles to the west from the latter; it is fourteen paces [11m] in length and five and a half [4m] in breadth and its walls are two feet four inches [0.7m] thick and about twelve feet [3.65m] in height. The east window is large and semi-circular headed and its arch formed of brick, and the side walls are lighted by six windows (three on each side) about eight feet [2.4m] in height and five in width and rudely formed of hammered stones. There is a rude doorway on the west gable formed of hammered stones, and there is a single-arched belfry on the same gable formed of brick' (O'Donovan 1983, 73).

In 1986 the Castleisland District Archaeological Survey described the ruins of Currans Church built in 1740 which consisted of a rectangular structure (dims. 6.3m N-S x 15m E-W; Wall T 0.9m) built rubble stone and roughly worked quoins aligned NE-SW standing in NE quadrant of graveyard (KE048-007001-). The ivy-covered walls (H 3.6m) of the church are well preserved with good evidence for external and internal render. The gable walls appear to stand close to their original height. There are three round-headed windows (H 2m) in each of the N and S walls. A large window (H 3m) in the E gable with some red brick built into the side of the window opening. The round-headed door (Wth 1.6m; H 2m) of the church is located in the W gable. A cut stone is visible in external face of the W door on the N side at a height of 0.63m above the present ground level. The interior of the church contains a number of graves and the surface is uneven (SMR File).